ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL SUNDAY NIGHT AT POVICH

Box Score

It was a scary start but a satisfactory finish as the Big Train defeated the T'Bolts 6-1 before 559 fans at Povich Field on Sunday night. Bethesda's starting pitcher Jimmy Saris (Georgetown) walked the game's leadoff batter, gave up back-to-back singles to load the bases, and then gave up a sacrifice fly to give Silver Spring-Takoma a 1-0 lead. Then Saris got down to business, striking out the next two batters and striking out the side in the second inning. Saris pitched through the fifth without another runner advancing past second base. The Big Train offense knotted the score at one in the bottom of the first as leadoff batter Cory Lane (UNC-Charlotte) singled, stole second and third, and scored on Chris Taylor's (UNC-Charlotte) groundout to second. T'Bolt starter Matt Montgomery struck out the side in the second, but the Big Train took the lead on an unearned run when Steven Leach (Jacksonville State) walked, stole second, and scored on an error. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Big Train added two more unearned runs on just one hit as the T'Bolts fielding melted down, committing four errors. Bethesda reliever Brian Anderson (San Francisco) came in in the sixth to protect a 4-1 lead. In the seventh, the Big Train added two insurance runs on a double by Adam Plummer (Pittsburgh-Johnstown), an RBI triple by Leach, and an RBI single by Bryan Thomas (Virginia Tech). Reliever Adam Redd (Virginia Tech) shut down the T'Bolts in the ninth.


SS-T Thunderbolts (0-3) 100 000 000 -- 1 6 5
Bethesda Big Train (3-0) 110 020 20x -- 6 9 1


WP: Saris (1-0)
LP: Montgomery (0-1)
3B: Pehrson (B), Leach (B); 2B: Plummer (B)
Time: 2 hours and 32 minutes
Attendance: 559


Big Train Notes: Big Train alum and former professional Matt Swope (BT 1999 & 2000) was at the ballpark Sunday night and joined the pre-game festivities. John Berry, the fabulous new Director of the National Zoo, and his associates from the Friends of the National Zoo were signing-up new supporters alongside the Mascot Safari presented by mascotmarketing.com. Fans donated cans of food for the Manna Food Center. Players from the Washington Divas women professional football team signed autographs and threw out first pitches to the Big Train players. Griff Gosnell represented our game night sponsor Monroe Development Company, A Gosnell Family Company. The B-CC High School Jazz Band performed before the game and between innings.